Funeral for the Brave
by impossible123
Summary: [SEASON 9 SPOILERS possible Twice Upon a Time spoilers] Clara and Me visit Clara's funeral (not much of a summary but... xD). 13clara and a whole lot of pain (sorry).
1. Chapter 1

"We are gathered here today, my sisters and brothers, to mourn the passing of Clara Oswald; daughter, teacher, and friend. She has been the light for many, cheering everyone even in the darkest of times, and was always very strong, even when her mother had passed away when Clara was just at the tender age of 18, and also when her partner, Danny Pink, left us a few years before her.

But we mourn because she is now only a _memory_ for us, even in such a short life. For Clara has passed on to a better life in the presence of God…"

The weather was bleak, the air was ever so slightly crisp with a cool light breeze, quite expected for a December morning. All were gathered to give the final farewell to Clara Oswald. She was to be buried amongst the trees, near her beloved mother.

All encircled her place of burial, wearing black outfits, listening to the Pastor's final words, before her coffin was to be lowered down. For her death had been _so_ tragic, taken from the Earth _so_ suddenly, that almost no one knew how she had died. Some said it was because she could no longer live without Danny, but many others contradicted this statement, saying that she was too strong to do such a thing. After all, the autopsy only _indicated_ sudden cardiac arrest. What _actually_ happened… no one knew.

 _Absolutely no one there knew…_

But all had one thing in common. That her death had shaken everyone to the core… family, friends, especially fellow teachers…. Who had lost 2 young co-workers in less than 18 months.

Everyone had no idea what had happened on that day, just 2 days before Clara's 29th birthday, from the Earth's perspective.

 _No one knew…_

Except 2 people, who stood lurking in the shadows.

 _2 young, yet ancient people who have seen the Universe from different perspectives._

 _2 people who had witnessed what happened to the companion._

 _2 people who still hadn't tasted death._

 _An immortal and a human frozen in time._

 _Both relieved a few moments before their definite death._

 _One a few minutes before the end of the Universe._

 _The other a heartbeat._

 _A person who had only heard her cry as Clara died._

 _The other had yet to experience what death under the hand of a Quantum Shade felt like._

"It's funny, isn't it?" Said Clara as she blinked away the tears. "Seeing yourself being buried." Her hold on the tree trunk tightened itself. "It's me in there, flesh and blood. Yet, here I am, still waiting to die, frozen in an instant, knowing what will happen of me." She was dressed quite normal to the sombre occasion ( _her own, actually_ ); a black lace dress with a shirt collar, black leather jacket and combat boots. Tears made their way down her unblemished cheeks, observing all the people.

A figure in a long coat, clutching fists to her chest, sobbing in the shadows.

"It's the Doctor, Clara." Said Me.

The girl breathed a laugh, "Yea." Clara couldn't help but remember. The Doctor.. A name which made her so so happy, full of memories which only she had known and cherished for whole decades before the new face remembered her former companion.

"You should go talk to her." The immortal replied.

Clara turned to look at her friend, her eyes burning fiercely with fear and pain. "NO. Never." Her voice was a bit angrier than Clara imagined it would sound in her head. She looked at the grass below her in shame. "Sorry Me. I-"

"No, no…. it's fine Clara. I understand… it's not easy." Clara's lips curled into a weak, betraying smile. But Clara's eyes never betrayed what she really felt on the inside.

 _Longing…_

 _Pain…_

 _Comfort she will never get as long as she_ lives _._

 _Till her last heartbeat._

Clara turned to look at the Doctor again, both the 2000 year old traveller and the former companion heartbroken.

 _One for forgetting_

 _The other for longing and remembering what it felt like to be alive in the blue TARDIS, to hear the Doctor speak her name one last time, not just as a name. But as a friend, or rather, a clear memory._

 _Well, Clara was just a memory now….._

 _She longed the Doctor to speak her name as the time lord remembers the wonderful days they had together._

 _Not like in the diner…_

"Guess it hurt her too, Cla. After all these years…" Me's voice trailed off.

Clara sniffed. But no more tears came. All her processes were frozen, not just her tiny little human heart. She had cried them all.

Everyone made the sign of the Cross as Clara's coffin began making its way down into the pit. Even Clara herself made the sign of the Cross, praying and hoping that her death would be a swift one.

The pit was closed off with mounds of soil and roses and bouquets from her friends, family, fellow teachers and also some students she used to teach, including Courtney Woods. The girl could only imagine what _really_ happened to her teacher. There was the head principle and all of the school staff, including Adrian, her fellow English teacher.

No… not _all_ the staff…..

Danny wasn't there….

Clara breathed a laugh…

 _Of course he wasn't there._

Her final conversation with cyberDanny flashed in front of her eyes, holding in yet another desperate sob.

After a few minutes of mourning, people started leaving. The last to leave were her father and grandmother. Both red eyed, they stood in front of her tombstone, next to her mother.

"I'm sure she's in a better place Dave. They're watching over us…. Over us all."

 _Does being frozen before her last heartbeat count?_

How she wished to talk to her father and grandmother, tell them that she was going to be OK, to stay strong...

"Let's go dear, you'll catch a cold." continued the grandmother.

Dave was reluctant to move from his wife's and daughter's grave.

But they finally left.

Everyone left.

Except one, very _special_ person.

* * *

 _ **A/N: This is not the end! Another chapter's left! Hope you enjoyed the first; any feedback appreciated. Till then take care!**_

 _ **Edit: thanks to AntimonyAvenger for bringing out my mistake xD**_


	2. Chapter 2

The Doctor slowly crept out of the shadows behind the trees, holding a small bouquet of forget-me-nots, Clara's favourite flower. She bent down and left them on the mound of soil in front of the gravestone, covering his companion's coffin.

The time lord began sobbing heartily, the palms of her hand covering her eyes.

Clara wished she could go and hug her, but she dared not. It would be a heartbreak for both.

"I'm sorry, my Impossible Girl. I am so so sorry." The former companion heard her whisper. "Why did I ever let you go?"

 _You never let go, Doctor._ I _did. It was best for both of us._

"I remember it all, Clara. I cannot stop seeing the same scene in my head." The Doctor looked so desperate…. The frozen girl would've cried more tears than before had she had any left, just because she and the Doctor were the Hybrid, one entity, so emotionally attached to each other that they would have torn time itself apart for each other. Clara had made the Doctor the Hybrid and they both accepted the consequences of their unexplainable love for each other. The Doctor finally sat up after she sniffed.

"But I shall do as you did, my Impossible Girl. Be brave and keep on moving. And I shall remember you this time."

Clara breathed a laugh.

 _You'd better do that, Doctor._

"After all, your every echo asked me that in your name. You asked me to remember you, instead I forgot you. Why shouldn't I remember you, Clara?" The Doctor smiled. As did Clara. "Thank you for all the wonderful adventures you've given me, Clara Oswald." The time lord continued. "You shall be remembered."

The Doctor dried away the tears on her cheek with the back of her hands before taking one last glance at the place where the body of the fallen fighter lay, before turning and walking away.

After a few steps, the Time Lord stopped and turned to look at Clara.

At the _real_ Clara.

 _The one who hasn't yet faced her death sentence._

 _The one who still had to go back._

 _Her daft old man…. The previous regeneration._

 _The first face his face saw._

 _For she still had unfinished business, the real Clara…._

 _She still had to go and see her daft old man's horrified face as she returns to her place._

 _Before she is unfrozen._

 _Before she hears the thump of her heart._

 _The last._

 _Before the hold on her life weakens and snaps._

 _Before she is left lifeless in the Doctor's eyes..._

The former companion froze in panic. Had she had a pumping, fully functional heart, it would have surely beat strongly against her ribcage. She would feel the warm sensation of blood flowing so fast through all her vessels… the adrenaline rush…. The alarm that took over was too strong.

 _No…._

 _Not again._

 _No more Hybrid._

The Doctor smiled.

 _But this was just a smile._

 _Just a consoling smile._

 _She accepted the reality… that no one could change the Universe's course and that Clara's death is a fixed event. The Doctor was ready to move on, as she had always done._

 _The last smile for her Impossible Girl._

 _A final goodbye to the person…. But never the memory._

Clara relaxed and smiled back.

"Thank you, Doctor." Clara said from behind the shadows. The Doctor could barely see her. Longing for each other so much, yet they dared not to move a step closer to one other, because they knew it would hurt them too much. Besides, the companion wanted that the Doctor would remember her as she was before she died.

 _Smiling_

 _Giggling_

 _Running_

 _Very truly_ _ **alive.**_

"No, thank _you,_ my Clara." he time lord replied.

And the Doctor walked to her TARDIS with a wide smile.

Clara couldn't move. She couldn't believe that had actually happened. The companion had one last wish, and the Universe had granted it for her.

 _A bargain so Clara could go back to Trap Street and die in peace._

 _So the Universe could go on without a hitch._

"Me?" said Clara, still staring at the empty space.

Actually

Properly

Frozen.

"Yeah?" the immortal responded.

"I think it's best if we were to go home." Clara smiled. "I've had my wish." The girl sighed as she straightened up. "I'm ready to face the raven now."

"As you wish, Clara." The immortal replied sorely, her voice already somewhat hoarse.

And they walked silently to their TARDIS, and flew off to Gallifrey.

* * *

 _ **A/N: so so so much hurt in this last chapter (sorryyy :'( ). Any feedback appreciated as always :D**_


End file.
